Page 106 of Soul Forge

Elda watched him slip off his glove and take her hand carefully, his magic sweeping through her like a cool caress against her skin. Her eyes closed when the stinging pain from her ruined shoulder rescinded, muscle and sinew knitting back together until she felt as good as new.

The wounds reflected themselves on Sypher, though only the torn flesh at the junction between his neck and shoulder was visible with his armour on. His brow furrowed faintly at the new pain, but he unwound the bandages up to her shoulder with both hands, sliding her tunic sleeve back and nodding when he saw unmarked skin.

“You didn’t have to heal me all at once,” she tutted.

“Yes, I did. Had I known it hurt you this much, I would’ve healed you the moment I stepped out of the hive. It’s no wonder you passed out in the mud.”

“Not before you nailed that ugly bastard in the head, though.” Julian grinned, clapping her lightly on the back. “That was one sucker of a throw!”

“I didn’t know what else to do,” she shrugged, fighting a pleased smile. The bubble of joy she’d felt at Sypher’s earlier praise returned, expanding until she was grinning.

“Reminds me of Sypher in his heyday!” Julian chortled.

“You make me sound like an old man,” the Soul Forge muttered, flexing his newly wounded arm slowly. The skin at his throat was beginning to knit back together, not a single drop of blood leaking from the tear.

“Youareold.”

“I prefer timeless. I don’t look eight hundred.”

“No, but you act it,” Julian snickered. The Soul Forge arched an eyebrow at him. A second later, Julian’s chair tipped backwards on its own, and the vampire landed on his back. Elda blinked, and Reiner rolled her eyes.

“Never sees it coming.” Sypher grinned, winking at them. Elda stifled a giggle, watching Julian clamber back to his feet with a scowl.

“Ass,” he muttered, setting his chair back on its legs.

Sypher yawned, flashing his sharp incisors. “As fun as this is, I should get some rest before we set off for the next leg. Cenet has a drier climate than what we’ve flown through so far. It should be easier on Nox and me once we’ve rested, but we should all be prepared for colder winds.”

“I need some new leathers then. These rags barely keep the rain out anymore,” the vampire mused, tugging at his cracked jacket.

“Will you help Elda find something warmer, too?” Sypher requested. “No need to prepare for ice, but certainly something thicker than the summer tunics she’s been wearing.”

“Can do.”

Sypher shot her a look. “Don’t let him talk you into buying anything you’re uncomfortable with. If he can get you into tight leathers, he will,” he warned.

Julian beamed. “You know me too well.”

“If Elda comes back here in anything she doesn’t like, I’m going to kick you in the dick,” he warned. Elda watched him stand and head back upstairs.

The vampire chuckled. “He’s so overprotective.”

“It’s his job to protect me.”

“Not like that,” Reiner muttered. “But I agree with him when it comes to this moron.” Her violet-ringed eyes settled on the vampire, who completely ignored her.

“When you get inconvenienced, Sypher contemplates murder,” Julian agreed.

“You’d better tread carefully then,” Elda replied sweetly.

Reiner emptied the contents of her cup and stood. “I’m going to check on Atlas and Nox before we head out.” She pointed one finger at the vampire. “If she comes back here with anything other than decent armour, I will castrate you.”

“Is there even anywhere left in this village to buy clothes?” Elda asked, planting herself between them before Julian could utter a word in response. His silver eyes turned on her, successfully distracted.

“There is. When the arachna attacked, they were drawn to the smell of living prey. Riordan’s market had already closed. The chaos started in the heart of the residences. A lot of homes were lost, but thankfully, the stores these people run to generate an income were unharmed, save for a few char marks and one broken door.”

“Have you been here before?” Reiner asked.

The vampire shook his head. “One of the village women told me when I was helping to clear out the rubble. This is the worst damage they’ve had for a while, but she said they can make do until they can rebuild.”

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